Imprint method, chip production process, and imprint apparatus

Abstract

An imprint method includes contacting an imprint pattern of a mold and a resin material on a substrate. The resin material is cured by irradiating the resin material with light in a state in which the imprint pattern is in contact with the resin material. The mold is parted from the cured resin material, and gaseous molecules are irradiated, in an atmosphere in which the mold is placed, with an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength that is shorter than a wavelength of the light irradiating the resin material. The electromagnetic wave is emitted from an electrification removing light source that is provided in a lateral side of the mold. In the irradiating step, the gaseous molecules are ionized by the irradiation of the electromagnetic wave from the electrification removing light source. The ionized gaseous molecules are supplied into an atmosphere between the substrate and the mold to remove electrification of at least a portion of the mold.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An imprint method comprising the steps of:
 providing a transparent mold having an imprint pattern at a side surface thereof facing a substrate; 
 providing photocurable resin material on the substrate; 
 patterning the photocurable resin by contacting the mold imprint pattern with the resin material; 
 curing the patterned resin by irradiating curing light through the contacting mold; 
 parting the mold from the cured resin; and 
 removing any electrification from the mold, patterned resin, and substrate during said parting by irradiating an entire area in which the imprint pattern is formed with electrification removal light through the mold so as to ionize gaseous molecules in an atmosphere in which the mold, cured resin, and substrate are placed, the electrification removal light having a wavelength shorter than that of the curing light, and the electrification removal irradiation beginning while the mold and cured resin remain contacting and continuing throughout said parting. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrification removal light has a wavelength of 200 nm or less. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrification removal light has a wavelength of 100 nm or more and 200 nm or less. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrification removal light is X-ray light having a wavelength of 0.1 nm or less. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the curing light has a wavelength of about 365 nm. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrification removal is performed in a state in which a neighborhood of the mold is provided with a locally decreased oxygen concentration. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising supplying nitrogen gas to a neighborhood of the mold. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein after said curing, a pressure in an atmosphere in which the mold and cured resin are placed is 0.1 Pa or more and 100 Pa or less. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the atmosphere is an inert gas atmosphere into which inert gas is supplied. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrification is removed by the ionized gaseous molecules. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the mold is formed of a transparent material capable of transmitting light having a wavelength of 200 nm or less. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the mold is formed of one of quartz, sapphire, fluorite, magnesium fluoride, and lithium fluoride. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrification removal irradiation begins before a distance between the substrate and mold is changed by said parting. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrification removal irradiation is conducted during movement of at least one of the substrate and the mold. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrification removal irradiation is conducted during said parting so as to ionize gaseous molecules located between the mold and cured resin. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ionized gaseous molecules are supplied to a contact surface between the cured resin and mold simultaneously during said parting. 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the curing light is irradiated from a first light source and the electrification removal light is irradiated from a second light source. 
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the curing light and the electrification removal light are irradiated from a single irradiation mechanism through a common optical path.